Page 42 of Rejected Bullied Mate

As I focused on the bonds, I could feel Samson's presence grow stronger, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

"That's it," he said, his voice low and soothing. "Keep breathing and focus on the pack bonds."

I took a deep breath, letting myself relax into the bonds. It was strange, but I could almost see the pack bonds now, like a web of silver threads, stretching out into the forest. I felt Samson's bond ghosting over mine—not tangling with it, but simply touching. A guiding hand, just like he'd said.

"Ready?" I heard him say back in the real world, "I'm going to start shifting. Just follow my lead. We'll go at your pace. I won't leave you behind."

I nodded, keeping my eyes closed. I felt Samson's power surging, and then there was a shift in the bonds. His wolf form pressed against mine, not forcing me to change, but pushing me forward.

I felt the familiar itching under my skin, and I let the change take over. The process was agonizingly slow, and I fought against the pain, trying to stay in control. Samson was there with me, a solid presence in the bond. He kept pushing me forward, and I let out a cry as my body finally started to shift.

The world around me grew smaller, and I felt my bones break and rearrange themselves. My muscles stretched and tore, and the pain was unbearable. Then I remembered...I wasn't powerless. I'd healed Francine earlier with my magic, so why couldn't I take the pain away from myself the same way?

I called to my magic, letting it wrap around me like a shield. The pain dulled, and I felt myself slip deeper into the shift. The change was smooth this time, and I could feel my wolf form taking shape. My senses were heightened, and I could smell everything around me—the trees, the grass, Samson's spicy scent. It was incredible.

Triumph rang through me like a bell.

I opened my eyes and saw the world through new eyes. Everything was sharper and clearer. I took a deep breath and let out a howl. It echoed through the forest, and I felt Samson's pleasure at my success through our bond. I turned to look at him and saw his wolf form standing next to me. He was massive, his fur silver-white, his eyes oddly human in his canine face. I nuzzled against him, feeling a wave of affection.

I’d done it. I’d finally done it, after all this time.

Samson nudged me with his nose, and I felt a tugging in my chest, urging me to follow him. I did, and we began running through the forest together, our paws flying over the ground. The wind rushed past my ears, and I felt truly free for the first time since I'd returned to Saltfang territory. Even my heat was taking a backseat to the new sensations, and I was content to simply run with Samson. There would be time for me to slake my hunger for him later.

I had no idea where we were going, but I instinctively trusted my Alpha, my mate, as we flew over the ground.

Eventually, we came to a stop near a small pond. The water was clear and cool, and I could see my reflection—dark fur and darker eyes—before thirst took over, and I lapped at it, grateful for the chance to rest. Samson did the same, and then flopped down next to me, his warm body pressed against mine. It was strange, but I was comfortable with him like this. He wasn't the domineering Alpha anymore. He was just Samson, my mate. I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed happily.

I'd done it. I'd shifted, and it hadn't been bad at all. In fact, it had been fun, running through the forest with Samson by my side. My wolf form wasn't as weak as I thought. I looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by, and let out a long sigh. It was nice, but I should have known that peace never came easily to packs like ours.

Chapter 16 - Samson

It felt good. God, it felt good. Little by little, my Omega was giving in to me, letting me knot her, allowing me to help her shift, and now sleeping happily next to me in the dappled sunlight around the small pool.

We couldn't rest forever, though; it was getting late, and I didn't want to have her out in the woods after dark because of the attack yesterday. I licked her face, nudging her with my snout until her impossibly black eyes opened sleepily.

She yawned, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and looked around with a sigh. We didn't need words for her to understand what I wanted. It was time to go, but we could revisit this again when things had calmed down.

Where the run out had been as fast as possible, taking turns nipping at each other's heels and trying to outpace the other, heading back was slower. We walked side by side, our tails occasionally brushing together. I was in no hurry, until a sharp, discordant feeling ran through the pack bonds, cutting through the rush of the forest. It was trouble. Kiera whined—now that she was fully connected with the Saltfang pack, she'd feel everything even more intensely than I did. The curse of being an Omega.

We ran then, and once we were back near the house, I wrapped my body around Kiera and tried to help her through the change once more. Kiera, though, had discovered something about herself. I felt the swell of her magic, and she used that to absorb the pain of the shift. Before I knew it, she was human again, pulling on her clothes.

As much as I would have liked to keep her naked, I had Alpha business to attend to.

"Stay here," I told her, yanking my shirt back over my head, "I'll handle this."

But Kiera gave me a look, "It's my pack, too, now. Let me help."

I knew better than to argue with her, and if I was being honest, she was right. An Alpha's Omega wasn't just a prized possession for him. An Omega was also meant to act as a mediator for pack issues, and her innate gentleness was a counterbalance to the violence of an Alpha.

"I dealt with a problem earlier, and you didn't even notice," she argued, taking my silence for dismissal. "Francine and company came here looking for me specifically. She'd been bitten by a snake, and they trusted me to extract the venom with my magic. If I can handle that, I can handle this."

Considering that the trouble I could sense had the distinct scent of Francine and her two followers, the timing was almost humorous. If what she said was true, then Kiera would be a better asset than she knew. "Impressive. Alright, let's go. I think we're about to discover that those three are up to some more bullshit anyway."

Tensions were rising in the pack, and I could feel that a fair amount of them had gathered outside of Waylon's property to see what was going on, but I still forced a protein bar into Kiera's hands before we climbed into the Jeep. The first shift was hard on anyone, but even more so for an adult, and she needed her strength. Plus, I got a secret thrill out of taking care of her in any way possible.

My Omega was licking the chocolate crumbs off her fingers when we skidded to a stop outside of Waylon's property, and my Beta's anger hit me like a brick wall. I trusted Waylon to deal with petty pack bullshit, but whatever was going on must have been important enough to wait for me to defuse it.

"What's going on?" I called out as I got closer. There was a small crowd surrounding my Beta and a few of the other pack members. I caught a glimpse of Francine's fiery red hair before Waylon stepped in front of me.

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